1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to automated material and article handling systems which can be used in any multi-level warehouse, storage and/or distribution environment, including ocean going vessels, such as naval ships. Each system includes a plurality of vertically spaced levels where goods are either stored, delivered to or taken from, or temporarily positioned. In some systems, one or more levels may be designated as goods receiving and storage levels, such as in cargo holds of ships, in which goods or cargo may be selectively stored, sometimes in vertically and horizontally spaced bins, racks or shelves. In preferred embodiments, the goods are carried on pallets that are moved by self-loading and unloading powered load transfer units or vehicles that maneuver the multiple levels and that also travel upwardly or downwardly relative to the levels or decks within vertically open trunks or shafts. In this manner, goods may be delivered to and from the storage areas at one or more levels or decks and distributed automatically therefrom to selected areas of any of the levels that communicate with the vertical trunks.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In material and article handling systems conventionally used in warehouse and distribution centers, storage facilities as well as on ocean going vessels, various goods including supplies, spare parts, dry goods, general merchandise, munitions and the like are normally loaded into the storage areas of the facility or vessel utilizing forklifts, gantry type elevators, special cranes, hoists and the like which raise and lower the items between various levels or decks. In such systems, it is also necessary to provide load transferring devices, such as special trucks or fork lifts, at each of the levels to move goods relative to elevators or hold areas where the goods are initially off-loaded utilizing the above referenced loading equipment. When any item is needed from storage, the same equipment which is utilized for initially storing the item is used to retrieve the item. In some storage environments, such as on ships, goods from storage must often be moved between various levels or decks thus requiring not only equipment to be available in the area of storage bins, but also requiring similar equipment at each deck level where the goods are to be distributed. Further, elevators are required between the levels or decks.
The above conventional material handling systems are very labor intensive and costly to maintain. In facilities having multiple storage floors and on ocean going vessels having multiple decks, the use of multiple load carrying vehicles or machinery at different levels increases not only the number of workers or crew members necessary to effectively distribute goods but also requires duplication of equipment at each level for maneuvering large, heavy and bulky items.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need to provide for an enhancement in the handling and storage of goods in multi-level storage systems, warehouses and distribution environments and especially in environments such as ocean going vessels. Material and article handling systems are needed which will reduce the number of workers or crew members which must be dedicated to the movement and storage of goods and which also will reduce the number of load carrying and maneuvering vehicles and other equipment which is necessary to effectively store and distribute goods and equipment in such systems or vessels.